MAD Solutions’ MAR MAMA, THE LAST WINTER to feature at Ismailia Int’l Film Festival

The Arab World’s most prolific film distributor MAD Solutions is sending two short flicks — Majdi El-Omari’s MAR MAMA and Hayder Dawood’s THE LAST WINTER to the Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, which will take place from February 28th to March 5th.

MAR MAMA is set to hold its captivating MENA premiere as part of the festival’s Short Film Competition, while THE LAST WINTER will be competing in the Short Documentary Category.

Starring the award-winning Palestinian actor Ziad Bakri, who is known for SCREWDRIVER and Netflix’s THE WEEKEND AWAY, Majdi El-Omari’s MAR MAMA offers a deeply personal and emotional exploration of the struggles faced by parents in war zones as they try to protect their children's well-being.  

The film, which world-premiered at Ireland’s Indie Cork Festival, delves into the story of a young girl haunted by her mother's death and the recurring attacks on her city. Faced with these traumas, she becomes obsessed with death. As her father attempts to distract her by creating a stop-motion film, reality intrudes; she finds solace in her imagination and fantasies.

Meanwhile, THE LAST WINTER — which held its world premiere at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival — offers a lighthearted yet earnest critique of the artistic struggle and the broader challenges encountered within the Saudi and global film industry. 

Starring Mohsen Ahmed, Hayder Dawood, Daniel Vasilca, and Alina Vasilca, THE LAST WINTER follows Mohsen, who returns to visit his friend Hayder four years after his initial journey to Sweden while being filled with a deep longing for their shared homeland of Saudi Arabia. 

As they navigate through Hayder’s final winter there, their friendship grows stronger, becoming a source of support and comfort amid a backdrop of longing and change.